The Brandywine Battlefield Task Force may face resistance before finalizing a plan for preserving lands within the battlefield landmark.
Jeannine Spiers, the chairman of the task force and a senior community planner for the Chester County Planning Commission, said during a June 7 informational meeting that her group is supposed to have a final plan by the end of the year. But there were indications of potential pushback when part of the discussion focused on trails.
The issues of trails came up during a presentation on land conservation and public access. Jake Michael, a member of the task force steering committee and of the Chester County Planning Commission, reviewed a series of draft maps that showed areas of open space with historic significance that are being considered for preservation.
Some of the maps showed suggested trails — equestrian, biking and foot trails. Michael said trails could link Sandy Hollow, Brandywine Battlefield Park and the Brandywine River Museum. New trails could also connect with already existing trails to link the entire landmark from New Garden Township in Chester County to Thornbury Township, Delaware County.
Debbie Hineman, of Birmingham Township, asked what would happen if residents didn’t want trails. Michael said the task force would likely not be able to get into the residential areas, but hoped to educate property owners.
It was at that point an unidentified resident shouted out, “We don’t want to be educated. We want to be left alone.”
Michael said there’s “not a great potential to put in a trail network,” but that the limited amount of dollars available for the project would go toward the more popular ideas.
Hineman later explained her concern, saying trails going through residential areas represented “… too much government telling me, as a homeowner and taxpayer, what I can do and can’t do on my property. I’ve been a resident [of Meetinghouse Road] since 1976. It’s been a lot of hard work to keep it as we have. It’s a beautiful scenic road. We’ve already fought this before with our township officials and now we’re being hit with something like this. I feel this is too much government with people telling us what we’re going to do with our property.”
(In 2002, Birmingham Township began hearings on an official map that showed trails going through several private properties. Supervisors eventually voted down the map amid strong opposition from residents.)
Meanwhile, the fate of the Brandywine Battlefield Park remains uncertain. The state stopped funding the day-to-day operation of the park in 2009. Since then, members the Friends of the Brandywine Battlefield Park have been running the site.
Prior to the meeting, Stephen Miler, of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, said the task force efforts to preserve the landmark brings focus to the park, but as yet, there are no specific plans for the park.
“The status of the park is not yet fully determined,” Miller said, but added that selling the park on Route 1 in Chadds Ford was not on the table.
He said PHMC was still working with the friends’ group and with the task force “in order to help us chart a new future for the site.”
“We’re looking at various operational models for all of our sites. What works in one community doesn’t work in another community. So, it’s a process of strategic thinking and strategic planning, evaluating local assets and resources and making the best determination possible.”
When asked if that meant plans were still up in the air, Miller said that is was “a fair assessment.”
Spiers said the BBTF would have one more public meeting on July 31, then have a wrap up in the fall before coming up with a final report.
--By Rich Schwartzman
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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I grew up on a property closely connected to the Park, and I agree with residents who voice opposition to the plan for trails. The trash and waste associated with this plan would be overwhelming, alone. The idea of the government telling people what to do with their own property is abhorrent as well.